The prior art is rich in devices to assist in giving artificial respiration.
The ensuing list of references each teach the use of a device for providing artificial respiration:
______________________________________ 2,428,451 Emerson 3,216,413 Mota 3,009,459 Ruben 3,363,833 Laerdal 3,136,312 Gattone ______________________________________
Of these Ruben teaches the use of an apparatus in which a central bulbous bag has at opposed extremities a face mask and a check valve so that depressing the bag will provide incremental air pulses through each of the check valves.
Similarly Laerdal teaches the use of an elastic bag for artificial respiration in which a check valve 13 is disposed at one extremity, to allow air to be introduced through a mask by means of collapsing a bellows type of container.
Likewise, the patent to Gattone requires the use of plural check valves in combination with a mask in which an air canister is provided for the introduction of gas into the person.
Mota teaches the use of a portable artificial respirator of the bellows type, in which inlet and outlet valves are provided to provide selective migration of air to the person being rescued, and a face engaging area completely surrounding the nose and lip area so that air can be continuously pumped into the person to be saved.
Clearly, all of these devices are rendered inoperable should any of those valves mentioned above fail to operate. Moreover, there is a certain likelihood that the detection of a valve having failed will go unnoticed during the excitement that normally exists in a crisis situation.
By way of contrast, the instant invention is directed to and claims a method and apparatus for providing artificial respiration in which the device is suitably dimensioned to be accommodated in the palm of most people in such a manner that fenestrations at one end of the container can be occluded by the palm, the container is suitably dimensioned to allow finger areas to grasp the central body area of the device so that depression of the container will provide an air pulse and its associated life saving benefits to the user. Simultaneously, the other hand is left available to close the nostrils of the person needing rescue. The container is provided with a central thicken area to allow a greater surface area to be depressed when manipulated by the fingers so that a large air pulse can be injected into the patient. The container is formed of a suitable plastic having a memory so that after deformation and releasing by the fingers, the container will return to its unstressed state.